


The Future is a Gift

by rebel_ren



Series: Drabbles Against Despair [19]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, Human Isabelle Lightwood, Immortal Husbands, Izzy is 75 but she knows a good match when she sees one, M/M, Matchmaking, Vampire Alec Lightwood, Warlock Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23588749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_ren/pseuds/rebel_ren
Summary: Alec moves back to New York to care for his aging sister Isabelle and, in the process, meets the maintenance person for her building, or so he thinks. But maybe not all is as it seems...
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Drabbles Against Despair [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666300
Comments: 24
Kudos: 189





	The Future is a Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Taupe_Fox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Taupe_Fox/gifts).



> Title is a twist on this saying/quote/thing: "The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present."
> 
> Prompt (from the lovely Taupe): One person moves out to care for an elderly relative/grandparent, the other person is the local fix-it specialist who comes around every so often to make sure everything is fine and check in with the kind old person. They fall in love. the grandparent heartily approves.
> 
> I did a bit of a spin on this, but I found the idea of an immortal Alec caring for family members interesting. (Also septuagenarian!Izzy would be such a delight!)

Alec zips up his suitcase and shoves it into the closet, taking a seat on the bed with a sigh.

One might think that being a eighty year-old vampire would mean that Alec had been through too many things by now to be capable of being surprised or tired.

But if there’s one thing Alec has come to rely on in the past century, it’s that life knows how to throw a curveball.

Had he ever thought his life would go this way?

The answer to that is a resounding _no._

When Alec had last lived in New York, he had been an accountant in his thirties. He’d thought he knew what tomorrow would hold: work and family and a routine that would repeat for the rest of his life.

That had all changed in an instant in a dark alley. As his attacker’s fangs had sunk into his throat, Alec had thought his life was over.

It had turned out to only be the beginning. Certainly, it had been an adjustment to awaken and discover not that the world was a different place, but that the way Alec himself moved through it would be fundamentally changed going forward.

And now, the latest curveball: Alec’s little sister Isabelle is now reaching an age where she needs him around more, needs more support.

Alec can’t say he hasn’t seen it coming. He stays in almost-contact touch with his family members, especially Isabelle, but it’s still a surreal experience to be back in New York.

For so many years, he couldn’t have imagined ever leaving this place, and now… it’s been so long, and there are ghosts around every corner.

Alec looks around the room. Everything’s put away, and there’s no excuse to hide away. Though there are certainly things he’s conflicted about in this move, one truly wonderful thing about it is the opportunity to spend more time with Isabelle.

Alec heads out to check on Isabelle, who’s as feisty at seventy-five as she had been at fifteen, sneaking out to meet her boyfriends and girlfriends and coaxing Alec into covering for her.

Within thirty seconds, Alec’s laughing at her rapier wit, and it’s as though the intervening years fall away. Isabelle is a perennial delight.

-

Alec drops Isabelle off at the senior centre down the street for her biweekly water aerobics class, escorting her safely to the pool to join her friends (and enduring their curious glances and questions) before heading back to the apartment.

Isabelle had been adamant that he had to go back to her place during the class. Apparently, there is a maintenance person scheduled to check the HVAC unit or something.

Alec, of course, had offered to look at it himself, but Isabelle had glared at him so fiercely at the mere _thought_ of not following through on the appointment that Alec had quickly admitted defeat and agreed to be at her place - _their_ place, now - to let the maintenance person in.

Alec takes advantage of the time he has now to tidy up a bit, though he’s careful not to put everything away. Isabelle likes to keep certain items at hand.

The appointment time comes and goes, and Alec tries not to get impatient. He dons the flowery apron from the hook in the kitchen and does the dishes. There’s a dishwasher, but it’ll take a little longer this way, especially if he doesn’t use his vamp speed.

Finally, Alec hears a knock, and he heads over to answer it.

“It’s about time,” he says as he opens the door, then pauses at the sight of the man standing on the other side, who’s nearly as tall as Alec and very attractive and somehow not at all what Alec had imagined a maintenance person would look like.

“I’m sorry about the delay,” the man says, chuckling and extending his hand, which is when Alec realises he’s staring.

Alec shakes his head in embarrassment and shakes the man’s hand. 

“No worries,” he says. “I’m sorry about that. I was getting worried about making it back to pick my… friend up after her water aerobics class.” Alec heaves a sigh of relief - though he doesn’t need to breathe, he’s lived among humans for so long that it’s become habit - at managing to keep from saying ‘my sister’ aloud. These days, despite the family resemblance, no one would mistake them for siblings, what with Isabelle having aged thirty years more than Alec has.

The man’s face breaks into a huge smile. “Oh, so that’s where my darling Isabelle has gotten to,” he says. “Ah well. You’ll have to let her know I missed her charming company today.” As if he’s just remembered, he adds, “Oh, and I’m Magnus. Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I’m not used to seeing anyone else here.”

“Alec,” Alec says, torn between being pleased that this person obviously has the good taste to enjoy his sister’s company and being confused as to how often the maintenance person must be showing up here to be on such good terms with Isabelle. “Yeah, I just got here. I’m going to be staying here from now on, making sure that she gets a little extra help when she needs it.”

Magnus smiles. “That’s wonderful,” he says. “She’s very lucky to have friends like you.”

Alec smiles back. Wow, Magnus really is attractive. Maybe moving back to New York will have some pluses…

“Oh, so, uh… HVAC?” Alec says, chuckling a little as he remembers why Magnus is here.

“Through the second bedroom, right?” Magnus asks, though it’s clear that he’s familiar with the layout of the place from the way he gestures in the correct direction.

Alec nods and shows Magnus the way. He hovers in the bedroom, not sure if he’s supposed to do anything to help, alarmed by the occasional bangs, grunts, and yelps that emanate from the other side of the access door.

“You okay?” he calls after there’s a blue flash of light. “Anything I can do?”

Just then, Magnus emerges from the access door, wiping his hands on a handkerchief.

“Nope,” Magnus says. “Got it.” There’s a sheen of sweat on his brow, but he’s practically glowing with satisfaction. 

Alec smiles at him. “Well… thanks,” he says, not sure what to say but oddly reluctant to have Magnus leave.

Magnus tucks the handkerchief into his pocket and smiles at Alec. The unnecessary, habitual breath catches in Alec’s throat. He may not know much about the man, but Magnus has the prettiest eyes and the kindest smile, and Alec can’t remember the last time he was so drawn to someone.

Before Alec can really decide what to do about that fact, Magnus’ phone buzzes, and whatever the potential of the moment was, it breaks. Alec remembers that he has to go pick Isabelle up, and they say their goodbyes.

When Alec picks Isabelle up at the senior centre, her bountiful silver hair smelling of chlorine and her eyes dancing with humour from whatever her joke her friends just told, she has lots of questions about how the maintenance appointment went.

In the moment, Alec doesn’t suspect anything, but as time goes on, he notices how often maintenance issues seem to pop up, soon noticing a pattern. Even so, he can’t bring himself to tell Isabelle to stop making up plumbing and electrical problems when it brings her such joy… and when he enjoys seeing Magnus so much.

-

Alec can’t remember a day when either he or Isabelle was happier than the day Magnus asks him out.

It’s not until Alec goes downstairs to find Magnus waiting for him by a sleek black sports car that he starts to question what he thought he knew about this man.

“Damn, the maintenance business must pay well,” Alec says with a whistle.

“Maintenance business?” Magnus asks, his brow creasing in a puzzled frown.

“...Yeah?” Alec says, equally confused.

-

When he gets home after dinner, Alec’s shaking his head before he even gets in the door. “I cannot _believe_ you told me Magnus was the maintenance person when he owns the entire building!” he calls out to Isabelle.

Alec follows the sound of Isabelle’s laughter into the living room, dropping down in an armchair next to her.

“Well, you know…” his incorrigible sister says, grinning at him. In that moment, Alec sees so many versions of her - Isabelle at 5, at 15, at 50, and now - images overlapping and blurring. She’s changed so much and so little in all these years, Alec thinks, grinning back.

“So you didn’t want to completely embarrass me on my date?” Alec asks, chuckling.

“Why would I want that?” Isabelle says. “All I wanted was an excuse for you two to meet…”

Alec smiles. “Yeah, I know. You’re ridiculous and extra and I love you,” he says.

“Oh, so the date went _that_ well?” Isabelle asks, raising an eyebrow.

Alec chuckles. “It _might_ have…” he says, playing coy for the fun of it.

“Like… second date kind of ‘went well?’” Isabelle asks hopefully.

Alec laughs. “Like. Mindblowing first kiss and definitely going on a second date kind of ‘went well.’”

Isabelle leans her head back in her armchair and sighs, grinning from ear to ear as she closes her eyes. “Now I can die happy,” she says contentedly.

Alec chuckles and pats Isabelle’s hand. “You have plenty of good years ahead of you, sister mine,” he says.

-

Alec’s right, as it turns out.

Isabelle’s there to hear Alec’s report after his third, seventeenth, thirty-fifth dates and beyond.

Isabelle’s there when Alec comes back from date one hundred and thirteen… the date when Alec finds out that Magnus is a warlock, and Magnus finds out in return that Alec’s a vampire.

Isabelle’s there when Magnus proposes, and she’s there when Alec proposes in return. She’s there at their wedding, and they share their first dance with her.

After all, Isabelle is the reason they met, the reason for their happiness. For that alone, they would be eternally grateful. But more than that, Isabelle is the reason neither Alec nor Magnus will ever be alone, and that’s the best wedding gift of all.


End file.
